I am all about Apple products. I have an iPhone, iPod, and hope to get my pretty little hands on an iPad for Christmas. Does this mean I think Apple consumables are perfect for every application? Of course not. A coffee maker may be the ideal product for your morning cup of Joe, but should it make your freshly squeezed orange juice too? Obvious problems would arise. Either way, most agree that different products have different applications. While the idea of melding technology has become a reality (a phone can now function as a camera, camcorder, phone (weird), music player, GPS unit, game system, etc.), I do not think point of sale systems should be compromised like other consumer grade electronics. …Especially when both retailers and consumers agree that security is the largest issue.

Don’t let it fool you– unless Apple creates an actual enterprise ready product, it is not equipped for the retail store environment. It will only take a couple drops on the ground, an employee spilling their soda on it, or an act of theft for retailers to realize the potential problems. Lucky for you- there’s something better if you are interested in going mobile now.

Making me a Believer (ET1)

This past week, our Motorola Channel Manager stopped in for a visit. He brought with him the first ever Enterprise-grade tablet for Point of Sale, the ET1. He introduced the tablet by dropping it on the table prior to turning on the device. As everyone in the meeting lunged forward to try to catch the product before falling, he told us this little plummet is nothing. In fact, the tablet has a 4-5 ft. drop range. As we all took turns trying out the device, throwing it around even, we realized that this could be the new reality for the retail environment. Prior to playing with the product, I had only read about the details: retail-hardened, gorilla glass, sleek design, etc. my speculation was gone after I held it in my hands. I am into it! The only caveat, the tablet is out of the iPad price range, but the reasons why are obvious. Starting in Q1 of next year,theEnterprise tablets will be available to the masses. Motorola is leading the way with this device, and I foresee that this is only the beginning.

Apple = Consumer
Motorola = Enterprise

As I have addressed in many of my other blogs-leave point of sale to the experts. I am not saying that Apple will never stand a chance in this already saturated market (let’s be honest-Apple may take over the world). Yet, as retailers continue to evolve with mobile POS technology, make sure it has been tested in a secure, true retail environment. Invest wisely.